LEONARDO CARRASCO: A MAN OF PEACE
By Marco Salinas, Former District Governor 4690, Rotary Bolivia
The construction of peace responds to a vocation, an inner call; we can say a deep conviction; Luis Leonardo Carrasco Guzmán, in his business, family life, and as a Rotarian, radiated a personal light that showed that deep conviction to contribute, with actions, to the construction peace.
I met Leonardo at school; we were restless boys seeking to better understand the world around us; we prepared ourselves for the moment when we would play our role in society as adults. Many years later, we met in Rotary; it was a beautiful surprise because it meant that we shared many values, especially community service. He had a friendly, kind, cheerful character; he radiated peace and was always smiling, ready to give a hand to whoever needed it; he always told me about his family, whom he deeply loved. During my tenure as Governor of Rotary District 4690, we dreamed of carrying out several projects together.
At that time, he invited me to visit Quime, the town where his Club had an economic development project, empowering women in this community by training them in various trades. I was amazed at this project, which changed the lives of dozens of women and their families, allowing each woman to be at peace with herself and contributing to a paradigm shift in that society and her home. I’ve enjoyed spending time with him very much. On different occasions, we had great conversations. Once, he told me that his Club should become the first pro-peace Club in the District; he was always a man of action, and his dream of building peace in our country led him to sponsor various projects in his Club. I am sure that part of his legacy has contributed effectively to constructing a more equitable society, which is the basis of peace.
Leonardo Carrasco was a man of peace; who taught me a lot. He will live forever in the hearts of all of us who had the fortune to call him friend, brother, and fellow Rotarian, RIP. and let the Perpetual Light shine for Luis Leonardo Carrasco Guzmán.
